


Nothing Serious

by queen_scribbles



Series: Better Company [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 21:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16940748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: It started as casual flirting between colleagues. Because life justhasto be interesting, it doesn't stay that way.





	Nothing Serious

_“Ah, Captain, you brighten my day, fatten my bank account, and gun down Imps like maimed banthas. Marry me  when this war is over.”_

He’d been joking.

Implementing the combination of flirting and banter that was so kriffing _easy_ with her. And she knew that, which was why she played coy and suggested they stick to drinks for now. It was banter between colleagues, nothing serious.

\-----------------------

The drinks didn’t happen until they were back on Coruscant, snatched in Briyoni’s final free hours before Havoc left on another mission. But they were both more _themselves_ than they could have been in the field, which Jonas appreciated. There was still plenty of flirting and witty banter between them, and Bry _was_ a dangerous combination of wickedly sarcastic and fiercely patriotic all wrapped up in a killer figure she had _no_ qualms about showing off. But it was just drinks. Nothing serious.

\-----------------------

He helped her track down the Deadeyes for her XO. Well, as much as he could. He wanted to _keep_ his job, and there was only so far he was willing to bend the rules, even for pretty blue eyes and tattoos that accentuated her cheekbones. Zane was a stuffed-shirt blowhard, but Jonas knew better than to push him too far. So he helped as much as he could and breathed a sigh of relief when Bry claimed ‘Havoc Op’ to divert the Senior Agent’s ire. 

“I should marry you for that,” he quipped, partially just to watch Jorgan bristle.

She laughed, rolled her eyes as she playfully slugged his arm. “How ‘bout we hold onto that for when I do something truly impressive, like save the Republic? For now you can finance a couple hands of sabacc. I’ll buy drinks, since you did us a favor, too.”

“Deal,” Jonas laughed, trying not to feel relieved when Jorgan decided to return to the ship instead. They were just friends hitting the casino, planning to drink some drinks and lose some money. Nothing serious.

\----------------------- 

Their paths crossed again shortly before her mission to Hoth.

“I’m resupplying before we take off,” she laughed, gesturing to the large bag of equipment and cold weather gear Forex was carrying. “But I can probably spare some time if you wanna grab a quick drink...?”

“Sure. I’ll just tell them I got lost between the spaceport and the Senate Tower. There’s no way they’ll question _that_.”

She giggled. Stars, but he did like her giggle. Their ‘quick drink’ turned into two, then three. Then into stolen kisses, which very nearly turned into more. And would have, if Bry’s medic hadn’t commed and pointed out in sickly sweet tones that they really should get moving.

“Sorry,” Bry whispered, stealing one last kiss. “She’s right.”

“S’alright. Go save the day.” He tried to mean it. They were, at best, ships passing in the night. Nothing serious.

\----------------------- 

They met much more deliberately after her team took out the Gauntlet.

“You free?” she commed, and as luck would have it, he was. He didn’t tell her that if he hadn’t been, he would’ve done whatever it took to change that. The visits they managed to squeeze in were rapidly becoming the only bright spots in a life that ensured he saw far, far too much in the line of duty.

“Jorgan give you any grief about meeting me?” he teased in greeting when she showed up at his door. (One good thing about being gone so much; his place stayed clean)

“Nah, but that’s probably just ‘cause he’s unconscious in the medcenter right now,” she sighed as she sat down, eyes dark as her tone was light.

“Well, now I feel like a jerk,” Jonas groaned. “He gonna be alright?”

“They think so,” Briyoni nodded, rubbing the new scar that bisected her chin tattoo. “Just earned himself another commendation for bravery, which was long overdue, anyway. But I’m not here to talk about work.”

He smirked and leaned closer, until their noses were almost touching. “Then why are you here?”

She accepted the challenge, stole a quick kiss before answering. “Because life is heavy, and you’re a damn good distraction, Jo.”

“Anybody else’d get kicked out for calling me that,” he grumbled good-naturedly under his breath.

“What, distraction? Or Jo?”

“Either,” he admitted, hand rubbing her arm nonetheless.

“Well, then, let me rephrase; I think you’re a damn good use of my time, _Jonas_.”

“That’s better,” he mumbled, fingers sliding up into her hair as he kissed her.

There wasn’t much need for words the rest of the night. They were both plenty vocal, though.

“Mm, after an evening like that, I feel like I have to ask again if you’ll marry me when the war’s over,” he commented in the lazy morning sunshine.

“You have to, huh?” Bry said playfully, sitting up and running a hand through her tousled hair.

“I’d be an idiot if I didn’t try my damnedest to hold on to someone as fantastic as you.” He sat up as well, punctuating the sentence with a kiss.

“Fantastic? Is that the best you can do?”

“Well, I mean, there’s also beautiful, and sexy, and witty, and strong, and perfect-” he followed each with another kiss- “but I didn’t want it going to your head.”

“Too late.” She pulled him in for a final kiss before climbing out of bed. “I think our next step should be you buyin’ me dinner.”

“That how it goes with you?” he teased, reaching for his clothes. “Drinks, sex, then dinner?”

“Only for the special ones.” She winked as she pulled on her top. “The rest just get drinks. But you’re fun, and you make me smile.”

She didn’t stick around to eat, insisting she needed to get back to the medcenter, then check in with Garza. Jonas watched her go, knowing he would have to convince _himself_ before he could convince his superiors their relationship was still nothing serious.

\----------------------- 

Their lives diverged for a few months after that, and he’d be lying to deny his heart lodged in his throat at the tidbits he heard about Havoc’s missions. Of course, with the war ramping up, his own life was dangerous enough to keep him occupied, and he couldn’t help wondering if she worried about him, too.

He found out when they managed to steal a moment following the Senate hearing and Zian’s arrest. She greeted him with a long hug, and he could feel the flutter of her heart.

“I really need to get moving,” she admitted, eyes tired but obviously happy to see him, a sentiment she’d kept bottled up earlier, with Garza there. “But I can tell Forex to have ‘em run a maintenance check, buy us a couple hours, if you have time?”

“Always, Major.” He waited until she’d passed along the instruction, then all but dragged her to his apartment. “Don’t want to waste any time,” he explained when she giggled. He still loved that giggle.  They didn’t waste time.

“I heard a rumor you got caught in that mess on Corellia; the Dark Council member gettin’ schooled by some up and comin’ lord,” Bry whispered in the aftermath, her back pressed against his chest. “I was worried...”

“Nah, Trant pulled me for a deep cover op on Hoth. I see why you hate it so much there.”

She shivered and hummed an agreement. “Y’know, I didn’t realize how much our... visits meant to me ‘til I thought there wouldn’t be any more....”

He froze in the middle of kissing her shoulder, breath coming in a sharp rush. “Well, y’know, if you would marry me we could make ‘em a more regular thing.” He tried--Stars, how he _tried-_ -to keep his tone as light and teasing as every other time he’d suggested that, but from her long silence, he must have failed.

Finally, though, she rolled over and met his gaze with mischievous eyes. “Okay.”

“Wait, _what_?!” He propped himself up on one elbow to stare at her incredulously.  “Are you serious?”

She nodded, giggling like crazy.

Jonas sat upright. “No way, we can’t let _that_ be my proposal!” He never seriously thought he’d be the marrying type, but even he knew you treated it with more reverence than _that_.

“Okay, then.” Briyoni sat up as well. “Do it right.”

Fighting the urge to laugh crazily himself--because he’d toyed with the idea of this day for months without expecting it to actually _come_ \--he leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers, took her hands in his, and cleared his throat. “Alright, I don’t have a ring, ‘cause this is kinda spur of the moment--and you don’t really wear ‘em anyway--but, Briyoni Nerai, will you marry me?”

She grinned wide, bit her bottom lip, and nodded. Before leaning forward to kiss him fiercely enough they both nearly toppled off the bed. “After the war’s over. That was the deal, right?”

“Yep,” he managed, the heady combination of joy and impatience making it hard to breathe. _This war needs to be kriffin’ over._

After a few more giddy, giggled kisses, they parted reluctantly to dress and head  back to work. Bry had an Imperial general to hunt, and Jonas needed to figure out how to tell his superiors that what had started as casual flirting on a standard op had turned into something else entirely. 

Something serious.

 


End file.
